Bloodline Spells
Part I

It’s Sorcerer Week here at Necromancers of the Northwest, though that’s a little bit misleading, because we’re not really talking about sorcerers in general, so much as we are celebrating the release of our latest book: A Necromancer’s Grimoire: Sorcerous Lineages. This book expands on the kinds of sorcerer bloodlines that we’ve shown in the past, both here on the website in our Best in Class articles, and in the appendix of the latest installment of Advanced Arcana.

The basic premise is that while “dragon” and “infernal” are perfectly acceptable bloodlines mechanically speaking, they’re decidedly flavor-neutral. In a core rulebook, that’s a good thing. But this removes the possibility of bloodlines branching off, and certain families developing weird and unique powers. It means that the distant descendant of one dragon is more or less the same as the distant descendant of another dragon. In essence, it takes a lot of the magic out of the bloodline.

So, we thought, what if we made bloodlines that actually represented one specific family (or ancestor, or other unique origin)? Such bloodlines would need strong flavor backing them up, and would need to have a more complicated set of themes than just “aberration” or “undead.” I had so much fun with them in Best in Class that I decided to devote an appendix to them in Advanced Arcana III, and that was so fun that we decided to do some more. And that’s what you’ll find in A Necromancer’s Grimoire: Sorcerous Lineages was born. And now it can be yours for a mere $4.99.

So, what is today’s article about? Well, I figure that the ten new bloodlines from the book could really use signature spells: spells developed by members of the bloodline, which sort of encapsulate a little bit about what that bloodline is all about. It also serves as a great way to introduce all of you to these bloodlines, too.

Despite their origin, the following spells can be cast by sorcerers of other bloodlines, wizards, and casters of any other classes that appear on the spell’s description. That said, they are very rare and hard to find, except from members of the bloodline. Further, if a character is a sorcerer of the bloodline the spell is associated with, he may learn that spell instead of the bonus spell he would normally learn for that spell level (for example, normally a character with the Eigen bloodline would learn arcane cannon at 15th level. If desired, he could instead learn Eigen animation as his bloodline spell at that level).

The Al’Sabai have always associated themselves with serpents, and consider such creatures to be the embodiment of cunning and ruthless predation. It is no surprise, then, that one of the more artistic among them created this spell, which creates a serpent made of living fire.

You create a serpent made of animated flames. The serpent is Small size, and appears in an unoccupied square of your choice within range. The serpent’s AC is 13 (10 + 1 size +2 Dexterity), but it also gains a deflection bonus to AC equal to your primary spellcasting ability score modifier. It has a number of hit points equal to your primary spellcasting ability score modifier multiplied by your caster level (to a maximum number of hit points equal to your primary spellcasting ability score modifier x 5). Any creature that hits the serpent with a natural weapon or a manufactured weapon without reach suffers 1d6 points of fire damage. The serpent has a speed of 15 feet, and cannot run.

The serpent can make a single attack each round on your turn (including the turn in which it is created). You can direct the serpent to attack a specific creature as a move action. The serpent will then continue to attack that creature until you direct it to do otherwise. The serpent uses your base attack bonus as its base attack bonus (to a maximum base attack bonus of +5), and adds your primary spellcasting ability score modifier to its attack roll, instead of its Strength (it also gains a +1 size bonus to attack rolls for being Small). It deals 2d4 points of fire damage in the event of a successful hit.

The first time that the serpent attacks a creature with spell resistance, roll to determine if you overcome that creature’s spell resistance. If you succeed, the serpent can damage that creature normally, and its spell resistance does not apply to the serpent for the spell’s duration. If you fail, the serpent is unable to damage the target for the spell’s duration.

Over a dozen different Eigen claim to have invented this spell, which allows you to create a single, very powerful animated object. This functions as the spell animate objects, with a few differences. First, it can affect only a single target. The maximum size of the target object depends on your caster level: at 14th level, you can affect Medium or smaller objects. For every two caster levels beyond 14th, the maximum size category of objects you can affect with this spell increases by one (Large at 16th level, Huge at 18th level, and so on).

Additionally, the resulting animated object does not gain construction points based on its size. Instead, it gains a number of construction points equal to your caster level – 4. Finally, the animated object is supercharged with electricity. It gains electricity resistance 10, and its natural attacks deal an additional 1d6 points of electricity damage on a successful hit.

This spell has a somewhat more tenuous control over the resulting construct than the animate objects spell, however, and there is a cumulative 3% chance each round that it goes berserk. If it does, it goes on a rampage, attacking the nearest living creature or smashing some object smaller than itself if no creature is within reach, then moving on to spread more destruction. If you are within 60 feet, can try to regain control of the animated object by speaking firmly and persuasively to it, which requires a successful Charisma check (DC 10 + 1/2 your caster level).

Masters of charm and persuasion, it is no surprise that the Lilitians developed this spell, which allows you to avoid the nasty aftereffects of a charm spell wearing off. This functions as charm person, except that the duration is permanent. The effect can be dispelled, as normal, or removed with remove curse or more powerful magic. Additionally, the target receives a second saving throw to resist the effect after 24 hours, a third saving throw to resist the effect after one week, and additional saving throws every month thereafter. If the target succeeds on any of these saving throws, the spell’s effect ends.

Additionally, any time you use an opposed Charisma check to convince the target to do anything it wouldn’t ordinarily do, if the check fails, the target receives a +2 bonus on his next saving throw to resist the effect. These bonuses are cumulative, if you fail multiple Charisma checks in this way.

The Sivix are well known for their ability to pass without a trace and escape notice wherever they go, and often the way that they accomplish that is with this spell. Though the spell does not truly render you invisible, it provides a powerful compulsion to all who see you to simply ignore you, and forget you were ever there. Any creature attempting to notice your presence must succeed on a Will save or be unable to do so. If the creature is actively looking for you (or actively looking for anyone, such as in the case of a palace guard), he may make a new Will save to resist the effect each round that he is able to see, hear, or otherwise sense you. A target that succeeds on his save is able to notice you and act accordingly, and is no longer affected by the spell.

Creatures that do not succeed on their Will saves have no memories of you or anything that you did during the spell’s duration. Any overtly attention-drawing act, such as engaging in combat, shouting and waving your arms, or so on, ends the spell immediately.

Just as the Ho’Lah have mastered the art of channeling the spirits of legendary heroes from their bloodline, they can also channel the spirits of their ancestors’ mighty and legendary steeds, calling upon them to serve in battle once more. The mount is identical to that created by phantom steed, except that it is also incorporeal (despite this, you, or the one person for whom you specifically created the mount, are still able to ride it and interact with it as though it were corporeal), except that the deflection bonus it gains as part of being incorporeal is based on your primary spellcasting ability score, instead of its Charisma score.

Additionally, the mount lends you some of its strength as long as you are mounted on it. You do not need to make concentration checks to cast spells as a result of the mount’s movement. Additionally, for every 10 feet that the mount moves in a round, you gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls made as part of spells and on caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance, to a maximum bonus equal to 1/2 your caster level (for example, if a 10th-level sorcerer cast this spell, and the mount moved 50 feet, she would gain a +5 bonus on attack rolls made as part of spells and on caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance).

You may notice that there are only five spells here, but I said there were ten bloodlines. Fear not! The other bloodlines will get their spells next week. Until then, enjoy the magic, and be sure to check out A Necromancer’s Grimoire: Sorcerous Lineages.